Blooming Stories
by TerraZeal
Summary: Stories from my Blooming AU. The first one is Little Flower. Leni and a seven year old Lily have a talk after Lily gets in trouble for damaging something of Rita's. Lily wishes Leni were her mother. Leni struggles to avoid telling her the truth.


_**AN:** Random stories from my Blooming-verse. Lily's father is still nameless here, despite he and Leni having found each other again, along with ending up married. Lily is seven in this short, and got in trouble for damaging something of Rita's. She goes to Leni for comfort. Not ALL shorts in this collection will be Leni or Lily based, but they ALL take place in the same AU. Some of the stories will be expanded upon, especially how Leni found Lily's father again and ended up married to him. Yes, her stuffed toy IS Twilight Sparkle. If this story seems a little odd, it's because I lost half of it when I got my new computer. I had backed everything up on an external hard drive but an error caused me to lose my last save. I tried to re-write everything the way it was, but I'm sure I missed some important parts that were lost. If I recover my original version of this, I'll post it as a separate chapter. Hasbro owns Leni's song._

 **Blooming Stories – Little Flower**

Seven-year old Lily sobbed loudly into her pillow. She hadn't meant to ruin mom's expensive designer purse. It had been an accident. Still, she'd been grounded for a month and her mother had said she didn't know if she would ever be able to trust Lily around special things anymore. She didn't know what hurt worse. The grounding or losing her mother's trust.

Did mom even love her? Or was she just the leftover from ten other better, successful children? They all had a place, something that made them stand out from the others. Lily had nothing.

Nothing about her was special. She wasn't super smart like Lisa. Or super pretty like Lola and Lana. Or a great writer like Lucy. Or a computer buff like Lincoln.

And she was definitely not as amazing as her oldest siblings. Lynn the sports star. Luan the clown. Luna the rocker. Leni the fashion designer. Lori the loving mother and husband of Bobby and Allie, their little girl. Lily wasn't anything special.

She was just little leftover Lily. The last, and least, of the Loud family. She pulled the sheets over her head and squeezed a small stuffed unicorn pony her big sister Leni had given her at her last birthday party.

Leni wouldn't be mad over this. Leni never got mad or yelled. Leni was always nice. So was her husband. He had pretty green eyes like Lily and was really nice and helpful, no matter who needed the help, just like Leni.

She squeezed the pony, named Twily, tightly and pressed herself against the wall, hugging Twily as tightly as she could. There was a soft knock at the door.

"Lily?" A soft voice asked, "May I come in?"

Lily was tempted to curl up into the sheets even more and ignore the voice, probably one of her sisters who still lived here. Mom wouldn't talk to Lily. Probably not again. Not ever again. The malice and fury in her mother's tone still echoed in her ears.

Still, maybe she needed to talk to someone. She shoved off the blanket and raised her tear stained eyes to meet her sister's. Leni. It was just Leni. Something like a huge fountain of relief seemed to wash over Lily. Something about being in Leni's presence had always made her feel loved. Comforted. Wanted.

She hugged Twily to her chest and nodded mutely at Leni. The beautiful twenty-three year old smiled, almost sadly, if Lily was skilled at reading expressions, which she rarely was. Leni was perfect. Beautiful, skilled, and...smart.

No one else knew. No one but Lily. Leni pretended she was dumb so everyone else could feel better about themselves, but Leni was smarter than Lisa. At least that's what Lily thought. Leni always knew how to help someone. Better than Lisa ever could. And Leni was a successful fashion designer. She had everything.

Beauty, skills, intelligence, and a husband she loved dearly. So why wasn't Lily jealous of her? Why didn't Lily feel second-best, like she did with all her other sisters and brother? Lily always chalked it up to Leni's sweet personality, but somehow, she knew it was something else. Something deeper.

Leni gracefully strode over to Lily's bed and sat down next to her. Leni picked up the tear-soaked Twily and ran a few fingers through Twily's mussed mane. She made a 'hmm' sound and sat Twily on the pillow, as if the small stuffed unicorn was watching Leni and Lily.

"I heard what happened with mom. I heard her yelling," Leni said softly, "Please don't cry, my little flower. She'll be over it, and everything will be fine."

Leni ran a hand through Lily's wavy silvery-blonde hair. Little flower. Leni always called Lily her little flower. Not even mom called Lily that, so why did Leni? Whatever the reason, it always made Lily feel just a little bit more loved.

"Leni...sissy...what if mommy doesn't love me? I'm not pretty or smart like Lisa or the twins. I never win awards or pageants...and I can't volunteer at the animal shelter like Lana. I'm just the leftover...the mistake...Lisa told me that once. That I was a mistake. That I wasn't supposed to happen. Is that true, Leni?" Lily's lips trembled and more tears welled up in her eyes.

Something Lily couldn't place passed over Leni's face like a shadow. Her eyes glimmered, almost like she was about to cry or shout in fury. Why would Leni ever cry? Or yell? She was perfect. Lily watched Leni for a few seconds, and the shadow and tears passed.

Leni pulled Lily into a tight, warm hug. The same fountain of relief she'd felt when she heard Leni seemed to pour over her again, stronger this time. Relief, love, unconditional love. She loved Leni. Maybe even more than mommy.

"I love you Leni," Lily whispered, squeezing Leni.

"I love you, too, little flower," Leni whispered, stroking Lily's back, "And...and...you don't have to worry. Your mommy loves you. Always and forever. No matter what you do, mommy will love you. You're mommy's special Surprise Lily."

Leni sounded like she was choking back tears, and Lily heard an audible sob come from her big sister. Lily didn't want to ruin the moment and just leaned into Leni, letting her words comfort her.

"Leni, sometimes I wish you was my mommy," Lily said.

A soft gasp escaped Leni's choked up throat.

"Lily...don't...don't wish that. Mom loves you. You're her baby girl. You were a wonderful gift, a wonderful surprise for her," Leni pressed her lips against Lily's head, kissing her softly, "Still...if I...were your mommy...it would be the same. Always. Forever. No matter what, little flower."

Leni and Lily broke away from the hug and the little girl stared up at her elder sister.

"Leni...why are you crying? Did I say something bad?" Tears threatened Lily again. What if she made Leni mad, too?

"I'm not crying because of you. It's...just something else. Don't...don't worry about it, sweetling. I was just remembering something...from shortly after you were born. How happy mom was...how great it was for the whole family. That's all," Leni's tears finally poured over her eyes. Lily handed her a tissue from her bedside table.

"Leni...I had a dream. I've had this dream before. A lot. Will you...listen and not think I'm stupid? Please?" Lily begged. She didn't want to tell mom about the dream. Mom would probably laugh or say that's silly, but Leni wouldn't, would she?

"You can tell me anything, little flower, anything at all, always. Remember that," Leni picked up Twily and handed her to Lily. Lily hugged Twily to her chest as she tried to recall the dream.

"I had a dream about what I just said. I had a dream that you was my mommy. You were singing to me. The _'Hush Now'_ lullaby...the one you used to sing to me when I had a nightmare. This time, you were crying and holding me, and when you were done, you said 'momma loves you, Lily. Always' and the dream ends. Just like now, you said 'Always'. But in the dream it...it was like you were my momma," Lily told her big sister.

Leni stared at Lily in shock. How could Lily remember something from when she wasn't even two years old? Leni remembered the love, the tears, Lori, the dress...that entire night...but how did Lily remember the song, the words Leni said to her...it made Leni want to tell the truth, so badly.

She wanted her daughter to know, but not yet. It would be too easy, right now. Lily was looking for a reason to be mad at Rita, and Leni wouldn't do this to her right now.

"Dreams are dreams. Sometimes they mean something, sometimes they're just silly fun or...or wishes that can only happen in dreams. I had a dream that you were my baby...a long time ago. It was just a dream...a happy dream, but still a dream," Leni nuzzled Lily softly. It was a dream. The truth. And a wish. And even silly fun.

Dreaming of being the mommy playing with her little girl on the beach or in a sandbox or taking her to her first amusement park...All something Leni dreamed of doing with her daughter, with the knowledge that Lily knew Leni was her mother. Dreams of being called 'mommy' by her precious daughter.

Dreams that wouldn't happen, at least not for a while, not until Lily was ready. Rita had said she would tell Lily when she was eighteen, but Leni wanted to tell her when she was thirteen. When she would officially become a teenager...a woman, perhaps, as well.

"I still wish it were true. If you were my mommy, you'd never say you don't trust me. You'd never be mean to me like mom is. You would be the best mommy ever. Are you and your boyfriend going to have babies?" Lily asked, her face lighting up slightly and the sadness fading a little bit more.

"He's my husband, little flower...but...yes, I think we will, someday soon. I would love to have a daughter to...to raise. To call me mommy. To hear her first words be for me," Leni said, forcing back tears again.

She hadn't told anyone yet, but she was indeed pregnant again. Lily was going to have a true sister or brother, at last. This time, the baby would be hers in every way. Her fashion designs were selling well...her husband was making pretty good money as a teacher...it was all perfect. She was even the perfect age.

The same age Lori had been when she'd adopted Allie with Bobby, since the fates had for some reason decided that Lori was infertile, and would never have a daughter with her blood. As Lori said, however, family didn't end with blood. She loved Allie more than anything. Allie was Lori's world. Leni's sweet little niece. Lily's little cousin. Or niece, at least that's what Lily was told.

Leni just couldn't bear the thought of moving out. Of leaving her other daughter. At least her beloved husband was understanding...he too wanted to get to know his daughter. The one he never even knew he had, until he'd found Leni again, and told her that he'd simply ran away afterward because he had been scared. He was a wonderful man. He deserved Lily just as much as Leni did. She was his little flower, too.

"You'll be a good mommy, Leni," Lily said, swinging her legs over Leni's knees and pulling herself onto her lap, "Your babies will be super lucky. Leni...can I be their big sister? I don't have any little sisters."

Lily stared up at Leni with those huge green eyes, sparkling and bright with unshed tears. Leni wanted to grip her tight and tell her that her future sibling WOULD be her little sister, for real, but she wouldn't take Rita's little girl away, not yet, not ever. Her mother loved Lily as her own, for which Leni was partially thankful for and partially sad for. If Rita hadn't cared for Lily as her own daughter, Leni could have raised her as HER daughter, as she was meant to.

Part of Leni hated herself for giving Lily to Rita to raise, but Rita had given her a great gift in the end. A normal life. She got to be a normal teenage girl, with no problems but teenage problems, like boys. She'd never had a boyfriend in high school...her heart was always with the man who had given her Lily in the end. It had turned out that his heart was for her, as well.

Their reunion, true reunion, when they had talked and figured out what happened, had been amazing. As if her soul were complete. That was how she felt. With her beloved, and Lily, her soul, her family, her life itself, was complete. She could have died happy after her wedding day.

Now, she had something else to live for. The little life inside her now. She ran a hand gently over the slim bulge in her tummy, covered by a silky shawl and smiled. Lily would have her little sister. Her real little sister. Or brother, if the fates decided to be strange and give her a son.

"Lily...you can be their big sister. They'll need a big sister to help them learn to live in the Loud house, after all. This house is crazy, isn't it?" Leni tickled Lily, who giggled and rolled back over on her bed, hugging Twily again.

"Thanks for everything, Leni. Big sissy. I was afraid...no one loved me. Remember how I told you that Lisa...she called me a stupid mistake, when we had that fight. She told me I was stupid. That I was a mistake and that mom should never have had me. That it should have been impossible. She was so mean. I know I'm not special..unique...like my big sisters...but it hurt, Leni. It hurt really bad. More than mom yelling at me," Tears welled in Lily's eyes again and she bit her lip so hard Leni was worried it would start bleeding.

Leni ran a hand through Lily's soft hair, "You are special. You are unique. We're all unique and special in our own way. Lisa thinks anyone who can't recite thousands of digits of Pi is stupid. In fact, she thinks her whole family is stupid. I love Lisa, don't get me wrong, but she needs to learn that just because someone isn't like her it doesn't mean she's stupid."

"Leni...will you sing to me again? The 'Special' song? I always loved that one. It made me feel better when I was sad, like now," Lily asked, stroking Twily's silky mane.

Leni smiled at Lily. The 'Special' song...she didn't have a voice like Luna's, but for some reason, Lily loved it when Leni sang. Anything. It could be gibberish and Lily would still giggle and clap. At least, she had when she was still a baby. Leni took a breath and began to sing, running her hand through Lily's hair, much like Lily was doing to Twiliy.

 _Each one of us has something special_ _That makes us different, that makes us rare_  
 _We have a light that shines within us_ _That we were always meant to share_  
 _There is nothing we can't do_ _There is no battle we can't win_ _There'll be a star to guide the way_ _It's inside us every day_  
 _Each one of us will sometimes falter_ _We may stumble, we may fall_  
 _But we still have a kind of magic_ _One that will see us through it all_  
 _There is nothing we can't do_ _There is no battle we can't win_ _When we come together_ _There'll be a star to guide the way_ _It's inside us every day_

Lily smiled and clapped as Leni finished.

"Leni, will you record it for me so I can listen any time I want to? It means a lot to me...it says that no matter what, we all have a light in us, no matter how different we are, and we'll always shine. Maybe like a star." Lily said.

"I'm not Luna! I don't have a great voice! Maybe I'll ask Luna to record it for-" Leni began.

"No! I don't want to hear Luna sing it, I want you! Please, Leni," Lily grabbed Leni's hand, pulling herself up on the bed, and stared up at her with her large, sad eyes.

Leni could never say no to those beautiful eyes, that pleading, loving voice. To her daughter.

"Alright, Lily. I'll record it for you. The 'Special' song always made me feel better, too. When I was younger. People called me 'retarded' and 'the dumbest person in the world' and this song always made me happy," Leni stood, covering Lily with her soft blanket, sewn for her by Leni.

Lily's eyes were closed already, a smile on her face. The tears and the sadness seemed to be gone. Leni smiled. Her beautiful little flower. She loved her so much. Leni leaned down and kissed Lily on the forehead.

"I love you, my little flower. I love you, Lily. Always. Forever."

Leni walked out of the room and clicked off the light as Lily drifted off to sleep.

"Mommy loves you, Lily," Leni whispered, holding back her tears.

"My precious little flower. My precious surprise Lily." 


End file.
